Uber Reinvents Public Transit With New Route Share Option

Contents

Summary

Uber announced new cost-saving measures at its Go-Get 2025 event, including Route Share, a public transit-like shared ride option up to 50% cheaper than UberX, initially available in select cities during peak commute hours.
The company is also introducing Ride Passes, including a $2.99/month Price Lock pass for consistent route pricing and Prepaid passes for discounted bulk ride purchases, alongside an AI-powered Commute Alerts feature to optimize ride request times.
Looking ahead, Uber reiterated its commitment to autonomous vehicles, announcing a partnership with Volkswagen to launch a shared, electric, and autonomous ride service in Los Angeles starting in early 2026, entering a market currently led by Waymo.

Uber, in a bid to tackle ever-increasing commuting and food delivery costs, today introduced several new measures that it is taking to help users save money.

Highlighted at the ride-hailing app’s Go-Get 2025 event, the company announced a new ride-sharing mode that is essentially public transit, but operated by Uber, price lock and prepaid passes, AI-powered commute alerts, and more.

The development comes on the heels of Uber’s missed Q1 2025 earnings report.

Route Share is essentially public transit combined with Uber’s ride-sharing. Promising fares up to 50% cheaper than the cost of an UberX, the service will offer routes along busy corridors at 20-minute intervals, similar to city-operated transit buses, where you might have to share the vehicle with two other passengers. Uber added that the service only operates during peak commute hours on weekdays. That is, between 6am to 10am, and then between 4pm to 8pm.

For now, the new service is limited to select busy corridors in New York City, Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas, and Baltimore.

A GIF highlighting Uber's new Route Share feature.

Source: Uber

Ride Passes

Tailor-made for those who commute to and fro the same destination every day, like your office, school, gym, etc., Uber is introducing two new passes to help you save money.

Price Lock pass: Costs $2.99 per month, but ensures that you pay the same price for a specific route for the entirety of the month, regardless of surge, weather, or construction-related fare hikes. “Each pass protects your fare on a selected route for a one-hour window, and you can purchase passes for up to 10 routes every month,” wrote Uber.
Prepaid pass: Essentially a discount for buying rides in bulk. Users can pay upfront for 5, 10, 15, or 20 rides on their regular routes to unlock discounts. Purchased rides are valid for 30 days from the date or purchase, or until you hit $50 in savings from buying the rides in bulk.

Commute Alerts

Commute Alerts is a new AI-powered Uber feature that notifies you about the best time to request a ride. The AI bases its recommendations on data like your ride history, available drivers, and real-time pricing trends. For what it’s worth, Commute Alerts might be more beneficial for those who don’t have a strict schedule, considering that it might sometimes auggest leaving 15-20 minutes earlier or later than your regular time to secure a more favorable ride fare.

Looking forward

In addition to features going live now or in the near future, Uber also reiterated its autonomous ride ambitions. In partnership with Volkswagen, Uber will launch a shared, autonomous, and electric ride service in Los Angeles starting in “early 2026.”

The service will utilize Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz AD vehicles, further establishing Uber’s footprint in a market that is currently dominated by established players like Waymo.